Wagon-body



(No Model.)

'G. P. THOMPSON.

WAGON BODY.

No. 482,398. Patented Sept. 13, 1892.

W M .By

UNTTED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

GEORGE F. THOMPSON, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

WAGON-BODY.`

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 482,398, datedSeptember 13, 1892.

Application tiled November 7, 1891. Serial No. 411.143. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. THOMPSON, of Minneapolis, in the county ofHennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain Improvements inVagOn-Bodies, (Oase No. 1,) of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to wagon-bodies, and especially to improvements inmeans for strengthening the sides of spring-wagon bod ies or boxes, andwhereby much time and eX- pense are saved in their manufacture.

The object of the invention is to provide stron ger and cheaperwagon-bodies, and at the same time greatly improve the finishedappearance of the wagon.

To this end I provide a separable metal post to be applied on the insideof the wagon-body and to be secured firmly to the sills and to the sidepanel; and the invention consists particularly in the specialconstruction and application of this part of the wagon body or boX.

My invention will be more readily understood by reference to theaccompanying draw ings, in which- Figure 1 is a side view of awagon-body embodying my invention, a portion of the saine being shown insection to more clearly set forth the construction. Fig. 2 is across-section on the line fr @a of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transversesection of one of my metal posts. Fig. t is a front elevation thereof.Fig. 5 is a side elevation. Fig. 6 is a plan View, and Fig. 7 is anenlarged view in cross-seetion taken from Fig. 2.

As shown in the drawings, 2 represents the sills of the wagon-body, 3the bottom thereof, and e the side boards or panels, which arestrengthened on the inside by the rib or frame slats 5, fastened theretoby screws or nails passing into the saine from the outside and throughthe panels. The half-round moldingstrips are preferably arranged tocover the heads of these screws or nails. The sides and also the ends,if desired, are braced and strengthened by metal posts 7,0rdinarily madeof malleable iron. In length these posts j ust lit in under the ribs 5between the to p of the same and the sill 2 and the lower side of thestrips 5, which therefore rest on the upper ends 8 of the posts. Thethickness or lateral depth of the posts is such that the outer edges 9strike the inside of the side panel, and the lug 10, formed on the topof the post, engages the inside of the strip 5, being secured theretobya bolt 1l, the head of which may be concealed beneath themolding-strips 6. Sidelugs 12 extend from the rear edges of the postalong the panel. These lugs are provided with the holes 13, throughwhich I insert the short screws into the panels. The panels are thusfirmly fastened upon the rigidly-secured posts, and that, too, withoutdisfiguring in the least the outside of the pan els. In this way I doaway with all screw-heads on the outside and with all holes to beplugged up, as in the ordinary practice. For the sake of lightness andas a saving in cost the posts are made hollow, as shown, and at thebottom of each is provided the fooit-lug 14, through a countersunkopening in which the screw 15 passes into the sill to prevent the footof the post from slipping inwardly. All vertical movement of the postindependent of the sill is prevented by a bolt lb', eX- tending throughthe sill and fastened therein by a nut 17. This bolt is of such alength. that its head 18 stands slightly above the sill. The bottom ofeach post is provided with an internal projection forming the shoulders19, and also has the open-ended slot 20. The head of the bolt is adaptedto tit within the hollow post, which,being stood upright on the bottomofthe wagon, is pushed out against the side panel in such a way that theprojection straddles the shank of the bolt, the head of which is thusmade to seat upon the shoulders 19. This is done after the panels arefastened upon the framework, and the nuts 17 being tightly screwed upthe posts are rigidly fastened upon the bot-tom sill. The inner face ofeach post is preferably rounded off, as shown, and the post is flaredout slightly at the bottom to give it a larger base.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patentl. The combination, in a wagon-body, of the sill and apanel, with a bolt secured in said sill and having its head standingslightly above the same, the metal post having the slotted base adaptedto be forced into engagement with said bolt, said post arranged on theinside of said panel, the inwardlyextending lug or toot of said post,means for securing the IOO same upon the sill, the side lugs of saidpost, and screws passing through said lugs into the panel to secure thesame, substantially as described.

l 2. The combination, in awagon-body, of the sills andsides thereof,with the hollow metal posts, said posts provided with the feet 14,adapted to be screwed to the sills7 and with the internal shoulders andthe bolts passing through the sill beneath each post and having theirheads engaging the internal shoulders thereof, and side lugs 12 on eachpost, the same provided with screw-holes and screws passing through thesaine into t-he panel, subr 5 stantially as described.

3. The combination, with the sill 2 and the panel 4, of the rib 5, thehollow metal post 7, provided with the shoulder 8 to engage the underside of the rib 5 and with the lug 10 to engage the inner face of saidrib 5, a bolt passing through the panel and said rib and secured by anut engaging the inside face of the lug 10, a shoulder 19, having a slot20, provided in the base of the post, a bolt 16, extending down throughthe sill, its upper end engaging said shoulder 19, a nut on the lowerend of the bolt for securing the same, and side lugs l2 on the post,through which screws are inserted into the panel to secure said panel,substantially as described. Y

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 27th day ofOctober, 1891.

GEORGE F. THOMPSON. In presence of- C. G. HAWLEY, B. BOOTH.

